Have you been asked to teach your Kindergarten-Second Grade students (ages 5-8) coding and have no idea where to start? PBS Kids ScratchJr is one option for you. It is a free app developed in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab, Tufts University's Developmental Technologies Research Group, and PBS KIDS, that can be installed on your Android Tablet or your Apple iPad. As kids snap together colorful programming blocks to make their favorite PBS KIDS characters move, jump, dance and sing, they will learn to solve problems, design projects and express themselves creatively with technology. The training will introduce you to developmentally appropriate coding and computational thinking concepts and practices through the use of the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app.
You will gain experience using the tool and will explore a curriculum designed for informal learning environments that helps support children through the creative design process by providing opportunities to imagine, explore, plan, create, and share their creativity and use of the media and technology.
This is a BYOD event. Please come with the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app loaded on your Android tablet, iPad, or Amazon Tablet. We will have some loaner iPads at the training. NOTE: ScratchJr is available on Chromebooks. ScratchJr is the same as PBS Kids ScratchJr, but does not include the PBS characters.
http://pbskids.org/scratchjrWe will briefly discuss the Great Computer Competition for C.I.I. Members and C.I.I. Service Participants (
http://education.whro.org/ciiroster). We will discuss what is takes to enter the competition, specifically Visual Programming/Block Coding Using Scratch Jr, and will share sample problems from the competition. The 2019 Junior (K-5) Great Computer Challenge is scheduled for Sat, May 4, 2019.
http://education.whro.org/gcc
Link to Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1H42H_cmhc0z99UhLQT_c4BbfF9VJhvT06s4L9CwB_cg/edit?usp=sharing